The weather will play a big part in the second Test between India and Pakistan, starting here tomorrow. A cold wave is expected, so Faisalabad may be as affected by bad light as Lahore was last weekend.

At Lahore 1,089 runs were scored for the loss of eight wickets. One reason the pitch was so good for batting was the lack of sun. With normal sunshine the cracks in the pitch might have opened up as the Test went on and the spinners might have had some assistance. If the next few days are not sunny, the same problem might emerge at Faisalabad but two of the last five Tests at the ground ended in results. Pakistan lost both. Rangana Herath, the left-arm spinner, was the bowling hero for Sri Lanka in 2004 and Shaun Pollock was the star of South Africa's win in 1997.

Neither side is likely to change its bowling attack. India will be tempted to bring in an additional fast bowler for Harbhajan Singh, who went for 176 in his 34 overs, but their fast-bowling back-up was unimpressive at the practice game before the first Test. Both sides might choose to overlook how their bowlers got punished because of the pitch.

There is a more serious issue with the Indian batting. The team management had not wanted Sourav Ganguly in the playing XI for the Lahore Test but higher authorities intervened. Although Ganguly replaced an opener, Rahul Dravid took the task of opening the batting, scoring 128 not out, but said afterwards that this was a short-term arrangement. Ganguly did not get to the wicket.

Pakistan have no selection problems. Their batsmen spent valuable time in the middle, increasing confidence, but for all their hundreds, one score will seem most ominous to India: the one run Inzamam-ul-Haq scored. He was not needed but, when the contest really begins, he is the man India fear most.